Safeguarding Policy
Version 2.0 · 26/10/2026 · Review date: 26/10/2027, or sooner if features change
Responsible persons: Jessica Tunnicliffe & Evie Solomon
How we keep Lotus Bloom safe for everyone, what we expect from members, and what happens when there's a concern.
1. Purpose of this policy
Lotus Bloom is a community platform created to provide people with a safe, supportive and accessible space to connect with others who have experience of gynaecological and reproductive health conditions.
People using Lotus Bloom may be living with chronic pain, uncertainty, isolation, distress or difficult healthcare experiences. This policy exists to:
- Protect members from abuse, harassment, exploitation and avoidable harm.
- Create a respectful and inclusive online community.
- Keep a clear boundary between peer support and professional healthcare.
- Give clear ways to report concerns, and explain what happens next.
- Promote safe communication and safe in-person meetings.
- Protect members' privacy, health information and personal details.
- Protect younger members by limiting what they can access.
- Apply fair, consistent consequences when someone puts others at risk.
Lotus Bloom is a peer-support platform. It is not a medical, mental-health, legal or emergency service.
We believe everyone deserves to feel heard, supported and respected. By using Lotus Bloom, members agree to help create a community where kindness, empathy and safety come first.
2. Our safeguarding principles
Safety first. The physical and emotional safety of our community comes before engagement, popularity or growth.
Respect and dignity. Every member is treated with kindness, whatever their age, diagnosis, background, beliefs, circumstances, identity or stage of their healthcare journey.
Lived experience matters. Members are encouraged to share their experiences, but personal experience must not be presented as professional medical advice.
Privacy matters. Members can take part without fear that their experiences, health information or identity will be shared outside the platform without consent.
Choice and autonomy. Members are never required to share personal information, reply to another member, carry on a conversation, join a Circle or meet anyone in person.
Clear boundaries. Lotus Bloom does not replace healthcare professionals, emergency services, safeguarding services or other professional support. Lotus Bloom is strictly peer support.
3. Who this policy applies to
- All Lotus Bloom members, including members aged 16 and 17.
- Buddy connections, Circle members and Meetup hosts and attendees.
- Members who ask for or offer help through Local Help.
- Moderators and community managers.
- Founders and administrators.
- Contributors and volunteers.
- Guests or professionals who take part in Lotus Bloom activities, such as H.E.R Circle sessions.
- Anyone representing Lotus Bloom in an official capacity.
Everyone using or representing Lotus Bloom must follow our community and safeguarding standards.
4. Who can use what
Lotus Bloom has a minimum age of 16. Members aged 16 and 17 can use the support tools, but not the features where members contact or meet each other. These limits are enforced by the app's systems, not just hidden on screen.
Feature Members aged 16–17 Members aged 18+ Tracker Yes Yes Toolkit and Appointment Prep Yes Yes Help page and crisis support links Yes Yes Contact the Lotus Bloom team (team Inbox) Yes Yes H.E.R Circle sessions View and register, with a parent or guardian's agreement. Only the team sees who registered Yes Forum (reading and posting) No Yes Announcements No Yes Member profiles Hidden from all members; only the team can see them Visible to members, with location shown only as set by the member Buddies and private messages No Verified members only Circles (group chats) No Verified members only Meetups No Verified members only Local Help and Supplies No Ask for help: yes. Offer help: Lotus Plus members only, who are always Bloom Verified (section 13) 5. Community behaviour
Lotus Bloom should stay a welcoming place to talk about sensitive experiences without judgement.
Members must:
- Communicate respectfully and avoid personal attacks.
- Respect differences in experiences and opinions.
- Respect other people's boundaries, including a request to stop contacting them.
- Avoid deliberately provoking or distressing other members.
- Never share another person's personal information.
- Avoid posting content that could reasonably put another member at risk.
Keeping each other safe. Honest conversations about pain, low mood, self-harm, suicidal feelings and eating difficulties are allowed, because members need somewhere to be open. But content that encourages, instructs or glorifies suicide, self-harm or disordered eating is not allowed and will be removed. The team will reach out with support where appropriate.
We do not tolerate:
- Bullying, harassment, threats or intimidation.
- Hate speech or discriminatory behaviour.
- Stalking.
- Sexual harassment or unwanted sexual communication.
- Coercive or controlling behaviour.
- Impersonation, including falsely claiming to represent Lotus Bloom or to hold a medical qualification or professional role.
- Scams or fraud, including attempts to obtain money or financial information from other members.
- Deliberately malicious behaviour.
6. Confidentiality and privacy
Lotus Bloom is a private, supportive space. Members must:
- Not screenshot, forward or share private messages or Circle conversations with anyone outside Lotus Bloom.
- Not share another person's story outside Lotus Bloom without their permission.
- Not identify another member publicly.
- Avoid sharing full names, addresses, phone numbers or other identifying details unnecessarily.
- Never share another person's medical or personal information without their consent.
Automatic safety checks. When members write a forum post, Circle message or Buddy message, the app checks for words that may suggest someone is in crisis. If it finds them, it shows crisis support information and alerts the Lotus Bloom team so we can check the person is safe. The team does not read private messages routinely.
Lotus Bloom cannot promise absolute confidentiality where there is a serious safeguarding concern. If someone may be at significant risk of serious harm, or another person may be at risk, the team may need to act. Where possible and appropriate, we will tell the person involved what action we are taking.
7. Peer support, not professional advice
Members are peers, not healthcare professionals acting for Lotus Bloom.
Members are welcome to say things like "This helped me", "This is something my doctor suggested", "I had a similar experience" or "I found it didn't work for me".
Members must not:
- Diagnose another person, or tell someone they definitely have a condition.
- Prescribe or recommend prescription medication.
- Tell someone to stop prescribed treatment.
- Present personal experience as medical fact.
- Discourage someone from seeking medical attention.
- Give instructions that could reasonably put someone at risk.
Members should also avoid presenting information from AI tools, social media or other online sources as confirmed medical advice. Healthcare decisions should always be made with a qualified professional.
8. Medication and treatment
Members must not offer, request, exchange, sell or give away prescription medication anywhere on Lotus Bloom, including through private messages, Circles, Meetups, Local Help or Supplies. This includes encouraging someone to use another person's medication.
Any attempt to trade or distribute prescription medication may lead to immediate account removal.
Members may discuss their own experiences of legally prescribed treatments, as long as this does not become medical instruction.
9. The Tracker and your health information
The Tracker is private to you. Other members can never see your Tracker entries, symptoms, notes or cycle details.
- Cycle and phase estimates are estimates based on what you have logged. They are not medical advice and must not be relied on to prevent pregnancy.
- If your symptoms worry you, or change suddenly, speak to a GP, NHS 111 or another healthcare professional.
- You can download your data or delete your account at any time from your Account page.
10. Buddies and private messages
Buddies help adult members connect one to one with people who share similar experiences. Buddies and private messages are only open to members aged 18 or over who are Bloom Verified.
- Bloom Verified means the member has passed an identity and age check with photo ID, run by our verification provider, Stripe. It confirms they are a real person aged 18 or over. Until ID checks launch, the Lotus Bloom team verifies members by reviewing an application. It does not mean Lotus Bloom can vouch for how someone behaves.
- Private messages are text only. Never ask for, or send, photos of yourself or anyone else through another app.
- You can end a Buddy connection, block someone or report them at any time. You don't have to explain why.
- Be cautious if someone pushes to move the conversation to another app, asks for money, or rushes to meet.
11. Circles
Circles are group chats for adult, Bloom Verified members who share an experience or interest.
- Circles are not continuously monitored. If something worries you, tap Report: reports go to the team only and are kept confidential.
- What is said in a Circle stays in the Circle. Don't screenshot or share it outside Lotus Bloom.
- Photos shared in a Circle must not show other people without their permission, and must never be sexual, violent or graphic.
- Members who start or run a Circle should help keep it respectful, but should report problems rather than try to handle serious concerns themselves.
12. Meetups and meeting in person
Meetups let adult, Bloom Verified members arrange to meet in person. No member is ever obliged to attend a Meetup or meet anyone.
For any first meeting, members are strongly encouraged to:
- Meet somewhere public and busy, during daylight where possible.
- Tell someone they trust where they are going, who they are meeting and when they expect to be back.
- Arrange their own transport.
- Never give their home address to someone they have recently met online.
- Leave at any time if they feel uncomfortable.
Meetup hosts must:
- Give an accurate place, date and time, and choose a public venue.
- Update or cancel the Meetup in the app if plans change, so attendees aren't left waiting.
- Follow our advice never to hold a first Meetup at someone's home, where possible.
Lotus Bloom does not organise, attend or supervise Meetups or any other meeting between members, and cannot check what happens away from the app. Members who meet in person do so by their own choice and at their own risk, and should follow the advice in this section. If anything about a Meetup makes you feel unsafe, leave, and report it to the team. If anyone is in immediate danger, call 999.
13. Local Help and Supplies
Local Help lets adult members ask for practical help nearby, such as spare supplies, emotional support, or a companion for a medical appointment. Any adult member can ask for help. For safety reasons, only Lotus Plus members, who are always Bloom Verified, can offer help. Offering help can mean meeting someone in person, so we need to know who is offering.
- Everyone offering help has passed an identity check, but the team does not review each offer before it appears. Use your judgement, and report anything that seems wrong.
- Never ask for or offer money, payment details or prescription medication.
- The meeting-in-person guidance in section 12 applies to any Local Help meeting.
- A companion for an appointment is there for support, not to speak for you or see your medical records unless you choose that.
- Local Help is not an emergency service. For urgent medical help call 999 or NHS 111.
14. Blocking, reporting and ending contact
Every member can end a conversation, Buddy connection or Circle membership at any time. You never have to keep talking to someone if you no longer feel comfortable.
Use the Block and Report features if someone makes you feel unsafe, uncomfortable or pressured.
Members must not contact someone through another account or another platform after being blocked or asked not to make contact. Repeated unwanted contact may lead to moderation action or permanent removal from Lotus Bloom.
15. Protecting personal information
Members should never share:
- Home addresses, private phone numbers or workplace details.
- Bank or card details, or other financial information.
- Passwords or identity documents.
- Intimate photographs.
- Medical records.
- Any other sensitive personal information.
Be especially careful with people you have only recently met. Lotus Bloom will never ask for your password or financial information through a Buddy conversation, Circle or private message.
16. Sexual content and exploitation
Lotus Bloom is not a dating or sexual platform. The following are prohibited:
- Sexual content of any kind, including unwanted sexual messages and sexual harassment.
- Requests for intimate photographs, or sharing intimate images without consent.
- Sexual exploitation, grooming or coercion.
- Using romance or sexual manipulation to obtain money or personal information.
Any serious concern involving sexual exploitation, grooming or abuse leads to immediate account removal and is treated as a safeguarding matter (see section 21).
17. Children and young people
Lotus Bloom's minimum age is 16.
- Under-16s cannot create an account. Date of birth is entered once at sign-up and members cannot change it themselves.
- Members aged 16 or 17 should have the permission of a parent or legal guardian before using Lotus Bloom.
- Members aged 16 or 17 can use support tools only (see section 4). They cannot read or post in the Forum, contact other members, or be found by other members. Only the team can see their profile.
- Adults must never try to contact a member they believe is under 18, on Lotus Bloom or anywhere else.
Suspected wrong age. If we have reason to think a member is younger than they said, we will treat it as a concern, not an accusation. We may restrict the account while we check, ask for more information, and correct the date of birth if needed. Accounts belonging to under-16s will be closed. We will record what we did and why, and consider whether further safeguarding action is needed.
18. Mental health and emotional distress
Talking about chronic illness, pain, infertility, diagnosis and healthcare can be emotionally hard. Members can support each other, but Lotus Bloom is not a crisis service.
- If someone seems to be in significant distress, encourage them to get professional or emergency support rather than trying to manage it yourself.
- Members should not act as counsellors, crisis workers or healthcare professionals.
- The Help page in the app lists crisis support, available to every member including 16–17s.
- The Lotus Bloom team will not try to manage an emergency beyond its competence, whatever anyone's job title.
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999. For urgent mental-health help call NHS 111 (option 2), Samaritans on 116 123, or text SHOUT to 85258.
Don't argue with or confront someone you think has broken the rules. Use Report and let the team review it.
19. Reporting concerns
You can report a concern by:
- Tapping Report on a post, reply, profile, message, Circle message, Meetup or Local Help request.
- Using the contact form on the About page, or messaging the team from your Inbox.
- Emailing hello.lotusbloom@gmail.com.
You can report harassment, bullying, inappropriate messages, medical misinformation, privacy breaches, unsafe Buddy, Circle or Meetup behaviour, threats, sexual harassment, suspected exploitation, someone who may be under 16, illegal content, or any other safeguarding worry.
Please report as soon as you reasonably can. We aim to review every report within 48 hours, and urgent safety reports sooner.
20. How reports are handled
The Lotus Bloom team reviews every report. Depending on the concern, we may:
- Review the reported content or interaction.
- Consider other relevant information available to us.
- Contact the person who made the report.
- Contact the reported member.
- Remove content.
- Issue a warning.
- Restrict account features.
- Permanently remove an account.
- Escalate a serious safeguarding concern.
What we do depends on how serious and credible the concern is, and the circumstances.
Appeals and complaints. If we remove your content or restrict your account and you think we got it wrong, you can ask us to look again within 7 days: use Report a problem at the bottom of any page and choose "Complaint or appeal", or email hello.lotusbloom@gmail.com. A different team member will review it where possible. You can also complain about how we handled a report in the same way.
21. Serious safeguarding concerns
Lotus Bloom may act beyond the platform where there is a credible concern about serious harm, abuse, exploitation or an immediate threat to someone's safety. Examples include threats of serious violence, credible threats of suicide or serious self-harm, suspected abuse, exploitation, grooming, sexual abuse, serious stalking, and credible threats against another person.
The team will consider the information available and act proportionately. Lotus Bloom does not investigate crimes itself. Where appropriate we will refer concerns to the police, emergency services or other statutory services.
Any concern that a child is being sexually exploited or groomed is always reported to the police, and where relevant to CEOP (the National Crime Agency's child protection command). We will keep any evidence securely and will not share it further.
22. Moderation and founder responsibilities
Jess and Evie, and any appointed moderators, are responsible for keeping the community safe. The team checks reports and safety alerts every day.
Moderators should:
- Act consistently, without discrimination or favouritism.
- Take every report seriously.
- Keep information confidential, but never promise absolute confidentiality.
- Record significant safeguarding incidents.
- Recognise the limits of their role and escalate when needed.
- Identify themselves clearly when acting as a moderator.
Moderators must not give professional medical, psychological or legal advice.
23. Conflicts of interest and boundaries
Moderators and founders must keep appropriate boundaries with members. They must not:
- Use their position to pressure members.
- Ask for inappropriate personal information.
- Enter personal relationships with members where this creates a safeguarding concern.
- Use member information for personal purposes.
- Present personal opinions as official Lotus Bloom advice.
24. Content moderation
Lotus Bloom may remove content that:
- Breaks this policy, the Community Guidelines or the Terms of Service.
- Contains harmful or demonstrably false medical information that could put someone at risk.
- Exposes another person's private information.
- Is harassment or contains threats.
- Encourages suicide, self-harm or disordered eating.
- Promotes illegal activity or medication trading.
- Creates a significant safeguarding concern, or is otherwise harmful to the community.
Content may be removed without warning where needed to protect members.
25. Consequences of breaches
How serious What may happen Low-level concern Informal reminder or guidance Repeated or moderate breach Formal warning or temporary restriction Serious breach Immediate suspension or removal Severe safeguarding concern Immediate removal, and referral to police or statutory services where appropriate Lotus Bloom may permanently remove anyone whose behaviour poses a significant risk to the community.
26. Record keeping
Significant safeguarding concerns are recorded securely, including where relevant: date and time, the concern, people involved, screenshots or other evidence, action taken, the reason for it, any escalation, and the outcome.
Records must be factual, accurate and objective. Only people who need them for safeguarding or moderation can see them.
27. Data protection
Safeguarding and health information is especially sensitive. Lotus Bloom makes sure personal information is:
- Collected only where necessary.
- Stored securely and seen only by authorised people.
- Not shared unnecessarily.
- Kept only as long as needed.
- Handled in line with UK data protection law (UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018).
Our Privacy Policy explains what we collect, why, how long we keep it and your rights.
28. Reviewing this policy
We review this policy at least once a year, and before any significant change to Lotus Bloom's features or who can use them. We keep it in line with our Online Safety Act risk assessments.
Version Date Change 2.0 26/10/2026 Updated for 16–17 support-only access, Circles, Meetups, Local Help, Tracker, crisis checks, appeals, verification 1.0 30/07/2026 First version
Questions about this policy? Email hello.lotusbloom@gmail.com. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999.